8.312
damodara-svarupera kadaca-anusare
ramananda-milana-lila karila pracare
SYNONYMS
damodara-svarupera—of Svarupa Damodara Gosvami; kadaca—with the notebooks; anusare—in accordance; ramananda-milana-lila—the pastimes of the meeting with Ramananda; karila—have done; pracare—distribution.
I have tried to preach the pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s meeting with Ramananda Raya in accordance with the notebooks of Sri Svarupa Damodara.
PURPORT
At the end of every chapter, the author admits the value of the disciplic succession.
He never claims to have written this transcendental literature by carrying out research work.
He simply admits his indebtedness to the notes taken by Svarupa Damodara, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and other authoritative persons.
This is the way of writing transcendental books, which are never meant for so-called scholars and research workers.
The process is maha-jano yena gatah sa panthah: one has to strictly follow great personalities and acaryas.
Acarya-van puruso veda: one who has the favor of the acarya knows everything.
This statement made by Kaviraja Gosvami is very valuable for all pure devotees.
Sometimes the prakrta sahajiyas claim that they have heard the truth from their guru.
But one cannot have transcendental knowledge simply by hearing from a guru who is not bona fide.
The guru must be bona fide, and he must have heard from his bona fide guru.
Only then will his message be accepted as bona fide.
Lord Krsna confirms this in the Bhagavad-gita (4.1):
sri-bhagavan uvaca
imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave ’bravit “The Supreme Lord said, ’I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku.” In this way the message is transmitted in the bona fide spiritual disciplic succession from bona fide spiritual master to bona fide student.
Srila Kaviraja Gosvami therefore as usual concludes this chapter by reasserting his faith in the lotus feet of the six Gosvamis.
Thus he is able to set forth this transcendental scripture, Caitanya-caritamrta.